Racial Tensions

The stories in this collection are set in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. During these time periods, racial tension is at its peak in the United States, especially in the South. Blacks are often treated like they are nothing more than animals, spit on in the street and called horrific names just because of the color of their skin. These experiences change these people, making them afraid to walk the streets. The author of these stories takes this setting and makes it part of the conflict in several of his stories. In Previous Condition, a black man living in New York is thrown out of his rented room simply because of the color of his skin. This man is emotionally wounded by this experience, an experience that causes him to lash out at the white people who care for him and to turn to strangers who happen...